4: this week." >> hi, everyone, i'm wendy rieger. we're going to show you some of the more interesting local stories making news this week. among them, a calcium controversy. how the supplements could affect your heart. party time in no time. the digital toll that is can turn you into an event-planning expert. and we're going to see the good that some local people are doing in hor of those who were killed in that connecticut school tragedy. but, first, a warning on something you could encounter in any parking lot. it sounds like a good offer. a repairman offering to work on your car.

it could leave you with a costly mess. tischa thompson and the news 4 warning before you pull into that next lot. >> sloppy paint jobs, dents made even deeper. even a bumper with a new hole. car repair plugs not at your local body shop, but your local grocery store parking lot. >> i think my first instinct was this is really creepy. >> it could have happened to patty smith. she called a news for iteam after two guys approached her at a fairfax shopping center. >> i had actually already pulled out when this person blocked me with his vehicle, making hand signals for me to roll my window down. i thought there was something wrong. >> he wanted to fix a small dent onner escalade, suv. >> i basically told him no, get out of my way. i'm not interested. >> she says the guy followed her out of the lot, even snapping the cell phone pic of her car. weeks later, it happened again.

this time at a vienna shopping center with two different guys. the news 4 eye team has found similar cases all around the dc area and gaithersburg and silver spring. he tried to fix his car but didn't know he's an investigator with montgomery county consumer protection. >> i do have cases where they're alleging that the guy actually dented the car in order to scam them and fix the repairs. >> most of these guys are not licensed and out to make a quick buck, leaving you with shoddy work. >> they slather on polishing compound to cover the fact that the paint doesn't match or that the repairs aren't good. they say they'll be back tomorrow to buff it out. >> he says they're targeting both men and women of all ages. >> the consumer i had recently let them do the work. that concerned me. >> members warn if you're

approached while out shopping, write down the tag number, call police and do not agree to any work no matter how good the deal may sound. tischa thompson, news 4 eye team. >> consumer experts say there are legitimate mobile repairmen, but they have shops and make appointmenteds. they are not going to be approaching you in a parking lot. >> this time of year, many of us are using our smart phones at gatherings and parties. it can be a pain to get all of those memories from a phone, into a printer and into a frame. we'll see how some apps are making that ease jer. >> say cheese. >> smile. big smile. >> the phone is with me everywhere. >> like most moms, michelle nagra who has four kids has one phone overflowing with photos. >> it always has, like, 2,000 pictures or so on my computer. >> pictures that rarely made it from phone to frame because printing can be such a process.

>> you can crop the pictures if you want. >> but, now, new apps like free print make it easy to print directly from your album. >> you can print out a hundred pictures every month for just the shipping fee. and the pictures actually turn out really great. >> another app. snaparific is similar and lets you send prints to anyone in your address book. one popular option? turning a picture into a canvas. >> we actually strip the photographic emulsion off of the paper and mount that on canvas. you get a really nice check that looks like a painting. >> there's another cool way to send photos for all of you instagram fans. it's called post-a-gram. what's real neat is that the photo on the card actually pops out. if you need printsight away,

walgreen's has an app called kick send. you can pick up to 30 photos at a time in the store within an hour. keep memories in hand with a fresh look from behind the camera in mind. >> i was kind of looking with what's going to look better in print or on my wall. >> angie golf, news 4. >> all of these apps work on iphone and ipad. for more, go to nbcwashington.com and click text. let's work backwards from taking pictures of your party to planning your party. there's a lot of technology that can make it easier than you think. liz crenshaw has tips. >> the days of party planning have gone digital. that means you can throw a party hassle-free. derrick robinson with best buy's geek squad. first up? invitations. forget the paper and postage, instead, create a digital invite. >> the easier ones to use are

e-viet and punch ball. >> sounds festive, but what he's referring to are web sites. another popular one, paperlesspost.com. web sites that allow you to customize your invitation and then just send them via e-mail. next, technify your kitchen to make your party meals a smap storing thousands of recipes on your phone or tablet. procurious is an app that lets you search over 30,000 recipes and themes. >> you can specify vegetarian, no wheat. >> just enter the ingredients you have on hand and it will help you create a dish. >> you can also share this with facebook or twitter. >> so if you find a recipe you love? >> um-hmm. >> if you're juggling multiple recipes, you might need more than one kitchen timer. consider the app 5-in-1 kitchen

timer, keeping track of five cooking times at once. want to impress your guests with an impressive cocktail? it's called 8500 plus drink and cocktail recipes. it works the same way as meal recipes. you can search and submit ingredients you already have. looking to jazz up the party with music? >> no more flipping around cds, shuffling around cds. basically, you can order your music online. >> digital music stores like itunes, amazon or rhapsody allow you to search for your favorite albums. or use your phone to create your own mix with music applications like pandora. you can also stream music for free with services like slacker, codify and search. >> you'll find your favorite radio station. >> liz crenshaw, news 4. >> and just about all of those apps on the online services are free.

some extended services charge a fee. an oscar winner comes to capitol hill. the fire-up lawmaker. still ahead, why ben afflect took the time to testify to congress. >> when i was a kid, i wanted that hero to show up. >> an did you get chips for the party? nope. cheese plate? cheese plate...nope. i made something better. ♪ you used the oven?

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oscar-winning actor and director ben afflect testified at a house hearing urging the government to do more to help resolve the violence. afflect urged to stop pressure for a special envoy to forge a path to peace. >> every day, i am inspired by the resilience and the determination of the congalese who desperately want to live their lives in peace, earn a decent living and raise their families just like the rest of us. mr. chairman, they deserve better than the cycle of

violence and upheaval. >> afflect is the founder of a humanitarian group that provides funding and support to that war-torn nation. school days have been difficult in classes across the country since a mass shooting in newtown. but a special guest paid a visit to a local school. tom sherwood tells us how this special star made a special effort to get there. >> in northwest washington and like schools across the country, educators just wanted to have a normal holiday season school event in the wake of the connecticut shooting. but, here, there was something special. >> it's all about y'all, right? >> are you all excited? >> san francisco's nfl star vernon davis was back in his hometown. after playing late sunday night in boston, here he was passing out gifts to children.

the dunbar and maryland graduate say it was important for him to be there. >> did you drive eight hours from this morning? >> i did. it was important when i came back here. i remember when i was a kid, i always wanted that hero to show up. >> davis, at 6'3", towered over the children, many the same age as those in connecticut. >> very, very touching. it's sad. it shows you how much we to pay attention to the kids. >> the principal was glad to have the diversions of this day. my hope was that the kids turn the tv to have as little exposure as possible. it's really unprecedented. we're really going by what our heart tells us and listening to the boys and girls. >> in the district, news 4. >> many women take it to protect their bones. but could it be hurting their heart? coming up, the findings of a controversial new study on

calcium supplements. and a new survey shows why it may be a good thing to

> in news for your health, d.c. and virginia have some of the healthiest hearts in the country. researchers collected data from government phone surveys of more than 350,000 people across the nation. and it took info on their blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking habits and other features. virginia came in third, oklahoma was at the bottom of the list. keeping with the heart health, a controversial new study suggests a common supplement may actually contribute to cardiovascular disease. doreen gessler has more. >> sue bell doesn't like to talk about her age, but she admits she is -- >> old enough to be on medicare. >> and for a lot of women in that special age group, calcium supplements are a necessity to stay healthy and ward off ost owe pro sis.

>> i want to make sure that my bones and muscles are as strong as they possibly can be as they get older. >> taking calcium supplements has been a staple among men and women over the age of 50. but, now, a new study is finding that the supplement to keep bones strong doesn't necessarily equal strong heart health. in fact, the new research shows these supplements could be causing more harm than good. >> patients who took calcium supplements seem to have higher rates of heart attack. >> dr. susan bennett is a cardiologist with the med-star heart institute. she says the study looks at about 24,000 patients over 11 years. those who took calcium supplements regularly were 86% more likely to have a heart attack than those who did not. >> so this kind of information is hypothesis-generating, in my mind. it makes us kind of wonder is there a connection? >> the researchers didn't say

why supplements might be linked to heart problems. but some fear that too much calcium could cause the arteries to harden. without more definitive research, there just isn't enough information from this one study alone. instead, patients should try to get as much calcium as they can through a healthy diet. that means getting about 1200 milligrams a day through foods like yogurt, kale and chinese broccoli. >> for now, i'm saying eat a good diet. get all the minerals you possibly can through your diet and good nutrition. if you're at high risk for having low bone density, than think about the smallest amount of supplement. >> if i can't want to take them, i could eat yogurt today, try some milk. try some an choe vees, sardines, broccoli and i would be fine. but i don't think i want to do that every day so i think i'm really comfortable taking the supplements.

>> sue says she's taking her supplements twice a day, but she's making sure to get checked regularly for any type of problem. >> i have to be cautious. with advancing age, we all have to be. >> doreen, news 4. >> dr. bennett told us that people shouldn't top taking supplements over this one study. instead, people should focus on things that we know help to build strong bones like a healthy diet and exercise. >> it is the light coming out of the darkness. ♪ i -- i got it, i got it made ♪

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a local company is helping a shelter for women and families by providing shelter in a literal sense. the shelter serves more than 70 women and families who are fleeing abusive relationships each year. >> this means so much to us.

we are a small, nonprofit. we don't have endless funds. and, so, this gift means that we'll be able to use funds that will go directly to the women and children that we serve to provide them with food and shelter, with housing and supportive services. and we are so thrilled to drive home this partnering with us and homemade of virginia which nominated us. >> more information is available at the shelter at nbcwashington.com. just search doorways. >> it started as a simple idea and it quickly went viral. erica gonzalez shows us how locals are giving back to others to help cope with this unspeakable tragedy. >> sanya is contributing to a funld for children with aids. newtown is kindling kindness in her and millions more. >> when i first heard about the tragedy, it just gave me a

really heavy heart. and i think that this is a way to show people that the world is not all equal. >> it first began with nbc's anne curry posting on twitter, "what if we all did something nice" or what about 26 act s of kindness to include the teachers lost. the hash tag began trending and people are responding. this d.c. rez desident tweeted 3-year-old donates to toys for tots. or this person who paid for someone else's breakfast. at your nearest post office, there's a way for you to send condolences directly to newtown. this specially made p.o. box now offers a way for the world to comfort the grief-stricken town. >> i think it's fantastic to give people a way to focus their sympathy for everyone up there. >> erica gonzalez, news 4.

>> and here's the address for sending those condo lenszs. you can also address it to specific groups like the first responders or to teachers in general up there. to see more displays of generosity or to get involved yourself, visit nbcwashington.com and search 26 acts. that's all for "news 4" this week. i'm wendy rieger. thanks for joining us and we will see you ain next time. ♪